


Substitution

by bluemoonmaverick



Series: Supposition [24]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Humor, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 11:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1939134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonmaverick/pseuds/bluemoonmaverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story is part of a series that, while sticking strictly to canon, explores the theory that Sam and Jack were engaged in a clandestine romance off-screen from Season 6 onward.</p>
<p>This tag takes place after the events of The Pegasus Project.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Substitution

**Author's Note:**

> AO3 apparently doesn't like me right now, so my last tag (Apprehension) is not showing up on the site, or at least not consistently. I'm trying very hard not to take it personally. In any event, if you missed it, you can get to it through my profile or by scrolling backwards from here through the series. Also, it has three parts, which is a little different from my other tags, so make sure you read them all! 
> 
> Now, on with the story, and fingers crossed that this one shows up...

John Sheppard entered the cafeteria on Atlantis and was immediately greeted with the sound of several people talking and laughing. He smiled. It had been awhile since they'd had something to celebrate, and the destruction of both an Ori _and_ a Wraith ship-not to mention the successful attempt to block the Ori Supergate-certainly qualified. Almost everyone in the city, save those on duty, had turned out for the party, and he had to admit it was good to see the citizens of Atlantis happily mingling with the crew of the _Odyssey_.

After a few seconds, John spotted Elizabeth standing with Rodney by the makeshift bar. Deciding he was thirsty, he slowly made his way through the crowd and nodded in acknowledgement at Elizabeth before gesturing for a beer. Beverage in hand, he turned to face the two of them and noticed for the first time that Rodney was anxiously surveying the crowd with an unmistakable smirk on his face.

"What are you so smug about this evening?" he asked, before taking a welcome sip of the ice-cold beverage.

"Nothing," Rodney replied, though if anything, the magnitude of his smirk increased by a power of ten. John had learned long ago that the best way to get information out of Rodney was to feign indifference, and sure enough, after about five seconds of silence, the scientist spoke. "Well, if you must know, I'm planning to make my move tonight."

John's eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead, and he exchanged a glance with Elizabeth, who simply smiled knowingly. "Your move?"

"Yes," he said, lifting his chin defiantly. "I'm going to ask Samantha Carter out. On a date." He added the last part quickly, presumably to allay any doubt.

John snorted and almost choked on his beer. "You're _what_?"

But Rodney was suddenly distracted by the long-awaited and much-anticipated entrance of one blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty. "There she is! There she is!" he exclaimed as Sam walked into the room accompanied by Cam and Daniel. He turned quickly toward John and began running his hands over his hair. "How do I look?"

"Desperate?" John offered.

Rodney scowled. "Oh, very helpful."

"Come on, Rodney. She's not the least bit interested in you."

"Oh yeah? What do you know?" he asked defensively. He crossed his arms, and the smug look returned. "You should have seen us a few years ago, at the SGC. You know, when we saved the world _again_ by opening a wormhole—"

"Rodney…" John cut him off, his voice a warning. He had no desire to hear the story for the hundredth time.

"Anyway, she admitted her true feelings for me."

John shook his head and took another sip of his beer. "You're dreaming, McKay."

"No, you're wrong. She's attracted to me on an intellectual level. You couldn't possibly understand."

"Rodney, she despises you," John scoffed. "I'm surprised she hasn't knocked you on your ass by now."

"Oh, you think so? Watch and learn."

John groaned as he watched Rodney cross the room toward the entrance to the cafeteria where Sam now stood with Cam and Daniel, chatting with members of the bridge crew from the _Odyssey_. He wasn't certain for whom he felt worse - Rodney or Sam. He considered making another attempt to save his friend from certain humiliation, but by then it was too late; Rodney had already approached Sam and was attempting to worm his way into her conversation.

John sighed and, taking another sip of his beer, prepared to watch the disaster unfold from a distance.

Sam saw Rodney approach from the corner of her eye and made a silent plea to the-powers-that-be that she wasn't his destination. But apparently the gods weren't listening or they simply enjoyed torturing her, because within a few seconds he appeared at her side and wasted no time invading her personal space.

"Sam," he addressed her smugly. "Good to see you again. Looks like our calculations really saved the day today, huh?" Sam watched with dismay as her teammates immediately took advantage of the interruption to make a hasty exit, heading in the direction of the bar. Cowards, she thought.

Her attention was reluctantly drawn back to Rodney, who hadn't stopped speaking. "Well, I mean the math was mostly mine, but I guess you helped some, too."

Sam sighed and plastered on her best fake smile. "Yes, I suppose I did," she replied, barely attempting to mask her irritation.

"Anyway, it was a good result," he added.

"It was," she conceded. She gazed after Cam and Daniel longingly. They were talking with John and Elizabeth, and Daniel suddenly laughed out loud and looked in her direction. He raised his glass, and she shot him a death glare before turning back toward Rodney.

For his part, Rodney was completely oblivious. He was too busy working up to his next question. "So, I was wondering. Have you seen the south pier? Because if not, I could show it to you. It's really quite impressive."

"Oh," Sam replied, somewhat startled, though frankly she knew she should have expected something like this. She turned back toward him and gave him an apologetic smile in an attempt to let him down easily. "I appreciate that, Rodney, but…I just got here."

"Right, he said quickly. "Maybe later then." After an uncomfortable pause, he tried again. "You know, I was wondering if you'd be willing to take a look at some calculations I've been working on to increase efficiency in the City's critical systems. Just, you know...when you've got some time."

Sam smiled. That much she could handle. "Sure. I'd be happy to."

"Great! What about now? We could just pop over to my lab-"

She winced. "Uh, tomorrow might be better, I think," she inserted quickly, attempting to cut him off before he could finish that statement.

"Oh. Okay." Rodney looked dejected for all of two seconds, before he was struck by yet another idea and began to carry on undeterred. "Maybe after, we could grab some dinner..."

At that point, Sam knew he would never take a hint and decided a more direct approach was warranted. "Look, Rodney, I'm not completely sure how to tell you this, but I think you should know-I'm...involved with someone else."

"Oh?" As he was processing this revelation, his attention was drawn over Sam's shoulder to the group at the bar, all laughing heartily now. At that moment, he made eye contact with Cameron Mitchell, who was looking directly at him and shaking his head, as though in warning. Rodney bristled. "Oh, I see. I mean, sure, I guess, if you like the whole rugged, thick-skulled, military type..."

Normally, Sam would never have said anything that might lead someone to discover her relationship with Jack. However, she assumed that Rodney was so socially inept, he wouldn't have the first clue about whom she was seeing, so understandably his words caught her utterly off guard. "Wait. What?"

"No, I get it. I do," he continued in his typical snarky tone. "What's not to like, huh? After all, he's supposedly a big hero and all."

Oh my god, Sam thought. Could he have guessed? "McKay-"

Rodney just kept right on talking. "But seriously, Sam. Don't you think he's a little...I don't know...dim? I mean really, when it comes right down to it, he's a bit of a simpleton, don't you think?"

An unexpected need to defend her husband suddenly welled up. Sure, Jack loved to play dumb, but she knew better than anyone exactly how smart he was, even if he chose not to show it all that often. "Well, actually-" she began.

"I know you have some history, but seriously, he's not even close to your intellectual equal."

Well, she couldn't deny that, even if few people would qualify. Still, she knew she needed to get control of the situation and fast. She held up both hands. "Just...hold on-"

But Rodney barely paused to take a breath. "Besides, it's a bit of conflict of interest, don't you think? I mean, aren't there rules about dating other military officers?"

That brought Sam up short. She blanched, unable to do anything but stare at Rodney dumbfounded. How was it that Rodney McKay had figured out in the space of two minutes what most of the SGC still didn't know?

Worse yet, as luck would have it, Cam and John decided to walk over to them at exactly that moment. "Who's dating other military officers?" Cam asked.

Sam nearly panicked, but as Rodney spun toward Cam and launched into yet another diatribe, she realized she had given Rodney more credit than he was due.

"Oh, please. Save your act for someone else, Mitchell. I know you might not think much of me, but even you should have figured out by now that I'm not exactly stupid. Far from it. Plus, it doesn't take a rocket scientist - though, of course, I am one - to see what's going on between the two of you."

"Sam," Cam said, cocking his head at her. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Relief rushed over her, and she immediately saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. She ran with it. "Ah, well...Cam," she began, placing her hand on his arm. "I guess we can't hide it anymore."

Cam furrowed his brow at her, genuinely confused. "Huh?"

But Sam had every intention of playing this out. She leaned in toward Cam and said in a stage whisper, "Rodney's discovered that we're having an illicit affair."

"We are?"

She gave him a pointed look. "Yes, _dear_ , and I think it's time we came clean. We don't need to hide our love for each other anymore."

"We don't?" She elbowed him in the ribs, and he finally caught on to her act. "We don't! Of course not...pookie." He gave her a wide grin. "So...would you like to get something to drink?"

She beamed at him in return. "I'd love to."

He offered his arm, and she took it. "Right this way then, darlin'."

"Thanks, honey." Together, they headed into to the crowd still smiling at each other, though it was more about trying to stop from laughing than anything else.

Rodney stared after their quickly-retreating forms and shook his head. "I just don't understand what she sees in him," he muttered to himself.

John had to stifle a chuckle at Rodney's cluelessness. He'd had enough late-night conversations with Elizabeth to know that if Samantha Carter were going to risk her military career over an inappropriate relationship with a fellow officer, it wouldn't be with Cameron Mitchell.

"You're an idiot, McKay," was all he said before he walked off in search of another beer.

Rodney stared after him slack-jawed. "What?" he asked finally, then hurried to catch up to his teammate.


End file.
